University of Virginia Library

Coalition Presents 11 Proposals To 'End Racism'

Expects Response Within Week
Gains Local Ministry Support

By Rod MacDonald
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Photo by Tom Duncan

Students Listen As Coalition Member Delivers 11 Proposals To Administration

Crowd Of Over 1,000 Assembled To Support Campaign Against "Racist Atmosphere"

Well over a thousand students
turned out yesterday to support
eleven proposals for "ending the
University's racist atmosphere" and
demand the administration to act
promptly on the racial-economic
measures proposed by the Student
Coalition as the effort to "end
racism" entered its third day of
demonstrations.

"After today it is obvious that
we deserve a prompt reply from
President Shannon on our
proposals," said Robert Rosen,
leader of the Student Coalition
group that planned and ran the
program. "The rally demonstrated
again today that by peaceful means
we can validly express ourselves in
such a way as to demand prompt
action by the administration."

"Options Open"

He said no plans for further
action have been made as "We're
keeping our options open,
expecting a reply soon, hopefully
this week. I hope it will not be
necessary to act further. We have
the students behind us, a fact that
is very obvious after the turnout
today."

The student movement has
grown in size and importance as
representatives of the faculty and a
local association of ministers have
added their support for the protest,
which has the backing of presidents
of the University Union and the
Inter-Fraternity Council, the editor
of The Cavalier Daily, the
vice-president and several other
members of the Student Council,
and several members of SSOC and
SDS.

In addition, the Governing
Board of the Inter-Fraternity
Council has given its support for
President Ed Hayes' involvement, as
it passed a resolution Monday night
"approving the president of the IFC
as its representative of the Student
Coalition formed to urge the
correcting of the University's racial
imbalance."

Delegate's Approval

Approval has also been sent
from the state legislature, as
Delegate and Mrs. William Ferguson
Reed sent the following telegram to
Mr. Hayes yesterday:

"For the courage you display in
saying 'the long overdue,' we
congratulate you. We are proud of
you."

The group presented its program
yesterday at the noon rally as
James Roebuck, vice-president of
the Student Council, offered to the
applauding students on the
Rotunda steps eleven proposals for
action. The crowd broke into
frequent applause at the various
speakers' remarks throughout the
90-minute presentation, which
featured nine speakers and was
moderated by Jeff Werner.

"Deplorable" Situation

Mr. Roebuck was followed by
Assistant Professor William Elwood,
who spoke of the "deplorable"
economic situation the University
maintained with its low
non-academic wages. Raising the
pay scale of hired workers is a
major point in the student program.

Robert Rosen, leader of the
Student Coalition, spoke next,
saying the students would press on
for their demands and not allow the
administration to stall them off. He
was followed by Steve Squire of
SDS, who, admittedly speaking
only for himself, seconded Mr.
Rosen's speech by saying "We will
continue to press these demands,
and will persevere in demanding
the resignation of C. Stuart
Wheatley from the Board of
Visitors." Mr. Wheatley, whose
presence on the Board touched off
the SDS-SSOC demonstration last
Saturday, was a leader of Virginia's
"massive resistance" program to
school integration during the
1950's. The Coalition proposals
made no mention of him.

Responsible Efforts

Mrs. Willie Lee Rose, assistant
professor of history, next told the
applauding crowd that "the faculty
will stand behind you if you are
responsible in your efforts." Mrs.
Rose noted that "this is my home,
and I want to work as hard as you
to bring change to it."

Student Councilman Bud Ogle
delivered the major speech of the
rally, saying "We have presented
eleven corrective measures that need
immediate action. We must be
willing to go anywhere, anytime, to
do anything and everything
necessary to get these minimum
prerequisites. But that's cheap.
These things should have been done
long ago, they're way overdue. And
they're necessary, but they're not
sufficient!"

Mr. Ogle also attacked student
racism: "I like to believe that where
there is a will there is a way - if we
really wanted to stop being racists,
to stop allowing U.Va. to be racist,
we could. If we really care it takes a
hell of a lot more than just coming
to a couple of rallies. If there's a
will we can make a way."

"Inhuman and Inadequate"

The Reverend Howard Gordon,
representing the United Ministries,
offered the clergy's support for the
student movement. He attacked the
University's "inhuman and
inadequate" wage policies towards
its employees, and said that "by
economic pressure alone the
University could begin to make this
town livable for these people.
Instead, it pays them $52 a week,
sacrificing them to subsidize higher
fees for faculty and tuition."

Last to speak was the Reverend
David Ward of St. Paul's Episcopal
Church, who seconded Rev.
Gordon's offer of ministerial
support, and added "What's
happening here is not just a
diversion, but a manifestation of
widespread discontent with a
tyrannous status quo. Part of it is
the growing realization that many
of our social structures and
institutions are outmoded and do
not have the capacity to deal
forcefully and creatively, let alone
justly, with the kind of world that
we are hurtling towards with ever
increasing speed.

Radical Reorganization

"We need some kind of radical
reorganization here if we are to be
able to deal with the changes that
are happening all around. Change is
not coming, it is here not. We have
two choices - it can smash us or we
can use it to create a world where
double standards and hypocrisy and
sullen apathy are no longer the
norms for our activity or lack of
it," he said.

The program, which was
prearranged by the Student
Coalition group in a meeting
Monday, began behind the Rotunda
with a march on the Lawn. Several
students began chanting "Wheatley
Must Go" and set up a microphone
to attract other students to join in.

The rest of the program
consisted of the speeches
mentioned earlier. After the regular
program was concluded, several
students had the opportunity to use
the microphone, and spoke on
various points of the protest. The
rally dispersed about 1:30,
following the note set by
Moderator Werner, who said "Be
here again when you are needed."